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Mugenda had appeared before the National Assembly’s Public Investment Committee on Governance and Education.
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The committee had requested information on all contracts and tender documents relating to stalled projects valued at Sh616 million.
Image: JOHN KAMAU
Former Kenyatta University Vice Chancellor Olive Mugenda has told MPs her successor, Paul Wainanina, is well placed to respond to audit queries for the 2018/2019 to 2020/2021 financial years.
Mugenda, who is currently Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital board chair, had appeared before the National Assembly’s Public Investment Committee on Governance and Education.
The committee had requested information on all contracts and tender documents relating to stalled projects valued at Sh616 million.
The committee wanted insights into the reasons for delays in completion.
Members of the committee also wanted an explanation of all expenses incurred during the purchase and renovation of Kigali Campus in Rwanda amounting to Sh314 million and Sh53 million respectively.
Mugenda said the period stated was at least three years after the end of her tenure as Vice Chancellor of Kenyatta University and the consequent exit from the management.
“It is my humble view and submission that the audit queries raised would adequately be addressed by my successor- the current Vice Chancellor Paul Wainaina on whose tenure the period under review falls,” she told the committee.
Mugenda further noted that the current VC was the Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of administration during her tenure while the current deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Finance, Planning and Development (Godfrey Mse) was still holding that position.
She said the current management team is better placed to address queries of the years after her tenure.
On stalled projects valued at Sh616 million, Mugenda said the university has all the records of transactions regarding the projects.
She said the committee should note that some of the current members of the university management board were still serving in the same positions during her tenure.
“The current deputy VC (Finance and Administration) who served during my tenure in the same position is still in office. The current procurement manager and university architect are still holding the same positions to date. The chief finance officer was deputy chief finance officer during my tenure,” she said.
She reiterated that the management is well placed to respond to queries about the delays in the completion of projects.
“This is because the projects were on course by the time I left office as Vice Chancellor. The stalling of the said projects therefore happened during the term of my successor, Prof Paul K Wainaina whose office has the custody of all details and reasons for the delays,” Mugenda said in her submissions.
Regarding the purchase and renovation of the Kigali Campus, Mugenda told MPs that KU made applications to the Rwanda Higher Education Council to establish a campus in the country and approval was granted.